Animal Crossing: East of Edenberg
by xGeekachu
Summary: In search of a new beginning, a girl riddled with guilt and low self-esteem sets out on a journey that ultimately leads her to the coastal town of Edenberg. But how can distance save her from herself? Rated T for adult themes and mature concepts.
1. Chapter 1: Pilgrimage

The bus had just rolled to its fifth stop today, coming to rest in front of a small, heavily weathered building.

_More like a shack, _I observed with wonder, nervously toying with the handle of my guitar case. According to my crumpled bus schedule, it was layover time – my third one in twenty-four hours, and in the middle of BFE, nonetheless.

"Last stop!!! Everyone, clear out!", bellowed the bus driver, pulling a lever. The doors to the bus folded open, letting in a hearty burst of cold wind and snowflakes.

I gathered my thin, black hoodie around me, groaning inwardly and lamenting the fact that I had left in such haste. But in my defense, I had no idea that I was actually going to go through with this...it had all been so sudden. I quietly waited for the rest of the passengers to walk by before I finally drew myself to my feet. I gave a big, long stretch, pulled the hood of my sweater up, and began to walk down the aisle.

---

The wait for my next bus was excruciating. I was starving, freezing, tired...but most of all, I was frightened. It seemed as though even 2,000 miles couldn't separate me from that powerful emotion. It had finally caught up with me, in this nowhere town of...what was it again? Edenberg?

---

"Hello! Mind if I sit here with you?"

Having been caught in a light doze, I jumped back to reality. In the past day and a half, not a single soul had spoken to me, much less in a kindly manner. Shocked, I looked up. A blue cat in a sweater vest stood next to me, holding a large suitcase. He smiled at me warmly, awaiting my reply.

I lifted my head from my arms and took a quick look around the run-down hub, just to make sure he had been talking to me. There were plenty of empty tables – why on earth did he want to sit here?

"Um, sure," I replied, my voice sounding oddly unfamiliar after a long day of silence.

"Oh, thanks!" The cat said cheerfully. He then hopped into the seat across from the small wooden table I had chosen, situated conveniently in the corner and out of the way. He set his massive, battered suitcase on the floor.

We sat in an awkward silence for a moment, during which I began to feel very guilty for not striking up some kind of conversation...but my heart simply wasn't in it. However, the cat had other ideas.

"You seem kinda down in the dumps, miss," he commented, a sympathetic frown crossing his face. "Where you headed?"

I sighed. "Not sure," I answered listlessly, avoiding the act of looking him in his big yellow eyes. "Just anywhere, I guess."

"Anywhere, huh?" The cat replied with interest. "Well, okay. I can understand that..." he paused for a moment. "Oh, silly me. I didn't introduce myself! My name's Rover."

I looked up and noticed he was offering me his paw. I blinked. Why was he being so friendly to me? There were far more attractive travelers in this crummy bus station. Regardless, I took his outstretched paw meekly and he gave my hand a hearty shake.

"I'm Carmen," I answered in kind.

"Well, Carmen," Rover said, relaxing in his seat, "Welcome to Edenberg!"

Just then, the lights began to flicker. As if synchronized, the heads of every traveler lifted and eyed the ceiling warily.

"Oh, uh, haha," Rover said sheepishly, watching the lights. The flickering ceased after a moment, and he looked back at me. "Not to sound rude, but...you _did _bring warmer clothes with you, right?"

I blushed and looked away from him, glancing at my suitcase. Yes, I was well aware that I wasn't dressed properly for the frigid weather, and that my luggage contained only thin sweaters and jeans.

"I...left in a hurry," I explained, feeling rather embarrassed.

To my surprise, Rover frowned. I prayed silently that he wouldn't ask me for the sordid details of my journey.

"I understand," he said softly. I wasn't entirely sure he did. I wasn't entirely sure anyone did at this point. "You play?"

I looked up at him, puzzled. He gestured towards my guitar case.

"Oh...yeah," I answered quickly with a nod, instinctively drawing the case nearer and hoping I didn't look as stupid as I felt. I then realized that in all likelihood, I didn't look stupid – I looked agonizingly pathetic. Gritting my teeth at my own awkwardness, I added: "Eight years."

"Wow, that's awhile," Rover commented thoughtfully from across the table. "You must be pretty good!"

A compliment. Instead of dissenting, I merely gave in – I was too tired to satiate my own lack of self esteem. "Thank you," I replied gently, blushing. Rover nodded.

"You know, I've been wandering since I was just a kitten..." he continued wistfully. "I've seen all kinds of folks in Edenberg. I think you'll like it."

"I'm not staying," I replied, running a finger absently along the woodgrain of the table.

"Well, the bus only goes back west from here...I imagine this is as far as you're going to get from whatever you're running from."

I looked up at Rover, surprised that he would say such a thing. However, before I could even begin to organize my thoughts on the matter, we were interrupted by the loud hissing of a large vehicle's brakes. The other travelers began shuffling to their feet and collecting their luggage...the bus had finally come.

"Don't look so shocked," Rover replied with a small chuckle. He stood up and grabbed his well-worn suitcase with one paw, and slid something across the table towards me with the other. I looked down – it was a folded snatch of paper. "Well, my bus is here. You know...I get a good feeling from you, Carmen. I just really think you should stay."

And as Rover turned and began to walk away, I unfolded the paper he had handed me. Written on it was a name and an address.


	2. Chapter 2: Promised Land

Ten minutes later, I was crunching down the icy lanes of Edenberg at a light jogging speed. It went without saying that this was an animal village. Their love of nature dictated that there be no asphalt roads – only winding lanes that meandered through grove after grove of trees, their limbs snowy and barren.

Already huffing and puffing on the fresh, salty air, I recalled the station clerk's directions: head straight down the lane until I reached the town hall, then go left, and after five minutes, I should see my destination.

_Tom Nook at Nook's Cranny, _I thought with a frown, looking up at the sky. _What an odd name. I wonder if he can really help me?_

Regardless, I picked up the pace. The light was already dimming, casting a cold, lonely blue tint on the unfamiliar world around me. Snowflakes swirled before me, daintily drifting from the sky and melting as they hit my flushed cheeks. Gripped with numb fingers, my only worldly possessions swung like pendulums at my side.

---

The two-story brick building, complete with a bell tower, reminded me of the stately courthouses I had seen on my cross-country journey. The elaborate sign on the snow-cloaked lawn suggested that my assumptions were correct – this was the Edenberg town hall.

As I stood before the set of stairs that led to the large, weathered oak doors, I found myself in awe of the truly striking building. I stayed for a moment longer, listening to the snow fall around me as I waited for the stitch in my side to fade. After a few moments, my breathing evened out and I found myself once again growing uncomfortably cold. I gave the town hall one final look before I continued on.

---

As I walked further down the snowy lane, I found myself wondering if I would ever see another human being again. Yes, Edenberg was most definitely an animal village...which didn't surprise me. Most remote towns were animal villages, with few commodities and little contact with the outside world.

This, however, didn't bother me in the slightest. It's not like I would miss the human race. After recent events, every last shred of hope I had in humanity had long since evaporated, leaving a gaping canyon of mistrust that very often bordered on a crippling fear.

But, no one was going to pay me back for the years I had lost. No one was going to make it up to me...no one was going to come out of the woodwork and apologize for how things had turned out. So I was going to quit waiting...this was Edenberg, my new beginning.

---

As impressed as I had been with the town hall, I had a hopefulness in my heart that Nook's Cranny would be a sight for sore eyes. However...the moment my gaze fell on that meager shack, I felt my heart drop down to the very bottoms of my filthy black sneakers. It was nothing more than a wooden shanty, complete with a sagging tin roof. As I read the black scribbles above the slanted door, I heaved a great sigh. This was indeed Nook's Cranny.

For a moment, I simply stood before the quaint shop, leaning against my guitar case and allowing snow flurries to collect on my tired, drooping shoulders. The world seemed to be totally idle before me, painted in various whites and grays. I became aware of a jagged stinging sensation in my eyes...a very familiar, if not completely useless, reaction.

_It's not too late, _I thought wearily, looking back down the lane, town hall barely visible through the freezing haze of snow, twilight and tears. _I could probably catch a bus back to—_

No. I wasn't going back...I couldn't. I didn't even have a home to go back to. I hadn't had a home in over two years – I was officially rootless, and that was that. No amount of tears was going to change this sad, bleak reality of mine.

I took a deep breath and shifted my gaze to the sky. I clenched my eyes shut until the urge to cry passed, for I knew that if I allowed even one tear to fall, it would become an inevitable deluge of self-pity...something that I was in excess of at the moment.

When I looked back down, I noticed, as if for the first time, the toasty, golden light coming from the windows of the shop. Call it what I may, that glow looked very inviting...and warm...

At the mere thought of warmth, I shivered violently. Night was falling fast upon the quiet village, and the temperature was beginning to noticeably plummet.

_It's now or never, _I thought gloomily, my decision made for me. I quickly reached for the door with a clumsy, frozen hand.

---

The heat from the small iron furnace washed over me, bathing me in its sooty, smoky warmth. I had peeled off my damp hoodie and cast it aside so that the heat could grace my bare, frozen arms and entice them to thaw out. I sighed drowsily, my arms outstretched and my hands opening and closing slowly, steadily regaining their blood flow. The heat felt like a heavy blanket wrapped around my exhausted body, so comfortable that I could just drift off...

"Why hello, yes? May I be of any service?"

My eyes snapped open in shock. Instinctively I took a step backwards, only to hit my heel against the broadside of my suitcase, sending me viciously off balance. I wobbled in the air for a moment before finally regaining my composure. Blushing madly, I looked towards the source of the voice.

Standing in the doorway was a middle-aged raccoon, chuckling to himself and placing his blue toboggan and scarf on a coat rack that had been nailed crudely to the shop wall. He turned and faced me. He studied me for a moment before a look of surprise crossed his face.

"Now, now, what do we have here? A new face?"

Still embarrassed, I backed shyly towards my things, shrinking into the furnace's corner, "I, um..."

"Yes, yes, of course! A new face!" he exclaimed, with a smile so wide that it twinkled in his black raccoon eyes. He then rushed over to me, weaving deftly between tables of merchandise. He grabbed my hand in his paw and shook it energetically. "Now, what brings you to Edenberg?"


End file.
